Line-up/Musicians

About this release

Label: Capitol RecordsRelease date: September 21st, 1990

Produced by Dave Mustaine and Mike Clink.Mixed by Max Norman.Engineer: Micajah Ryan, Mike Clink.Photography: Gene Kirkland.Cover concept by Dave Mustaine.Cover illustration by Edward J. Repka.Recorded at Rumbo Recorders.Mixed at One On One Recording.

MEGADETH RUST IN PEACE reviews

Specialists/collaborators reviews

There is no doubting Dave Mustaine’s incredible abilities as a guitarist. It was the reason he was a member of Metallica. It was the reason he was able to put together a new band and win a record deal after being booted from Metallica. It was the reason Megadeth has always been regarded as one of thrash metal’s Big Four, despite the fact Megadeth was at least two years behind the other three when it came to releasing a debut album.

Mustaine’s biggest problem has always been gathering and maintaining enough talent for Megadeth to reach its full potential. He found a steady lieutenant in bass player Dave Ellefson, but a second guitarist and drummer proved more problematic. ‘Rust In Peace’ was Megadeth’s fourth album, with a third different line-up. It may seem hypocritical, but drummer Gar Samuelson and guitarist Chris Poland were both sacked due to drug problems, despite the fact Mustaine and Ellefson were also drug users. Replacements Chuck Behler and Jeff Young only lasted a single album, and were both sacked while Ellefson was undergoing drug addiction treatment.

Behler was replaced by his drum tech, Nick Menza. A new guitarist was a bit more problematic. Guitarists as diverse as Dimebag Darrell, Slash, Lee Altus from Heathen, and Eric Meyer of Dark Angel were suggested or auditioned as a replacement. Meyer and Dimebag were both offered the position, but both turned it down. The answer turned out to be Marty Friedman, previously of Cacophony. For an ego as big as Mustaine’s, Friedman must have been quite a threat. Why? Because Mustaine had finally met his match, if not his better.

Finally, Megadeth had its classic line-up. And so to ‘Rust In Peace’. Pushed by Friedman’s talents, Menza’s solidity, and his own and Ellefson’s sobriety, Dave Mustaine set out to create a fitting successor to the impressive but flawed ‘So Far, So Good…So What!’. This is what he came up with.

Non musicians will struggle to name half of what Mustaine and Friedman created between them. Sharp, spiky riffs, incredible solos, with notes flying past in all directions, it is a lesson in thrash metal guitar technique. Nick Menza’s drumming is streets ahead of anything the band had produced in the past. So, great riffs, great solos, great drumming, great musicianship all round. What’s the problem?

The faults are numerous, but for some odd reason, metal fans the world over ignore them.

The first is the main problem Megadeth has suffered ever since its formation- vocals. Dave Mustaine knows what he wants to say, and when he’s snarling his vocals, the message is loud and clear. The guy can’t fucking sing though. As soon as he tries anything melodic, he goes outside his effective range and ends up out of tune. Sometimes it doesn’t matter too much, but on the song “Five Magics” he hits the most dreadful tones of his entire career, and sings flatter than a witch’s tit. “Tornado of Souls” is also fucking awful, with his voice wobbling all over the place. Worst of the lot is the pointless filler ‘Dawn Patrol’. Yes, it shows off Dave Junior’s oft-overshadowed bass, but the almost Gothic vocals are just fucking silly, and the little sucky mole sounds at the end are just...wrong.

The next problem is the guts had almost completely gone from Megadeth’s sound. ‘So Far, So Good…So What!’ was not what Mustaine had wanted when it was recorded, but from a fan’s point of view, it was a damn sight heavier than this album or the first two. It had some grunt to it, even if it was a bit fuzzy. ‘Rust In Peace’ seems to have had most of the bottom end grunt removed in favour of crunchy mid-range tones to show off the crunchy riffs, and has a crystal clear high-end for leads and solos. That is fine, if that is the effect desired, but ‘Rust In Peace’ was released in the same year as Anthrax and Slayer both released their heaviest, most uncompromising albums. If those two bands could both get clear and heavy sounds, why did Megadeth have to sacrifice the heavy?

The songs? The fucking songs! Some of them aren’t even songs, but just collections of ill-fitting riffs. Metallica fell into the same trap on ‘…And Justice For All’, but covered their mistakes more effectively. On this album, some of the transitions from one riff to the rest are quite jarring, like a high school metal band not quite knowing how to put a song together.

There is the odd high point, like ‘Poison Was The Cure’, with a brooding intro dominated by Ellefson’s bass, before cracking into a bouncy, choppy main riff, like the best parts of the ‘Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying?’ album. However, three thrilling minutes hardly make up for 37 minutes of frustration.

The maturity of ‘So Far, So Good…So What’ had gone west. Think of the emotional bitterness of “In My Darkest Hour”. What do we get instead? “Rust in Peace... Polaris”. Supposedly about nuclear war, it’s full of lame penis puns. What about the venomous attack of “Liar”? Try "Holy Wars…The Punishment Due", about the conflict in Northern Ireland, a situation Mustaine understood poorly. Oh yeah, and the second part of the song is about The Punisher comic. And the righteous anger of “Hook In Mouth”? Take your pick from a variety of half-arsed songs about UFOs, witchcraft, drugs, and apparently a ghost living in Dave’s attic (“Lucretia”).

This is a great album for aspiring metal guitarists to study. A forensic examination of the techniques used, and how the separate components of the music were constructed should be essential. However, as a whole, it fails. It is an egotistical dick waving contest, with the two guitarists showing how they can outdo each other, to the detriment of the overall effect. That this album is considered a classic is a perfect example of the emperor’s new clothes effect. Because it is so over-hyped and sharply executed, no one wants to be the first to listen to it with a critical ear and say, no, this album does not work.

There's nothing much more to add about Megadeth's knock-you-off-your-seat blast into the 90's that people haven't already stated. By this time metal was well into the music industry, but with Rust In Peace Megadeth had opened up a whole new crevasse for other bands to jump into in this decade. A highly influential and simply golden piece of metal material, Rust In Peace is considered by many to be one of the greatest metal albums of all time.

Let's keep this short and to the point. Mustaine is spectacular. Is voice is obviously fitting to whatever Megadeth plays, mostly because he seems like he was engineered to play such a role. Especially when he's coinciding with such smashing guitar-ing from Friedman as well as rocking the floor himself. Nick Menza is like the thunder to the lightning, and delivers some flawless percussion that you rarely see in metal bands. His playing perfectly fits neatly alongside his band-mates in 'Hangar 18', as well as in the stunning opening (and full product) of my personal favorite track 'Lucretia'.

That's pretty much all there is to it. Rust in Peace is awe-inspiring and all other kinds of inspiring. The intrepid songwriting and the majesty at which they play is just plain amazing. Pick it up if you haven't heard it yet.

Good reason this is one of the highest rated metal releases of all time. It just sounds perfect from beginning to end. Well constructed songs with riveting thrash fury and ripping melodic guitar solos from Marty Friedman all conspired to make an epic album. I should also mention the phenomenal bass of David Ellefson and Nick Menza's pounding drums. Only the vocals of Dave Mustaine are the part of this band that don't absolutely thrill me, but despite them this is still a masterpiece.

Unlike the previous albums which Dave Mustaine continuously found himself butting heads with producers and inevitably firing them, this album was the one where a single producer had the luxury of sitting through the entire process. The album came out at a time when glam metal ruled and was a huge impetus in ushering in the newer extreme forms of metal to the mainstream. Another album that I never tire of no matter how many times I listen to it.

Megadeth’s albums are hit and miss affairs often but “Rust In Peace” hits the target on every song. The riffing is incredible, with sharp and technical brilliance throughout. The percussion is outstanding and everything is brought together with the inspired vocals of Mustaine.

Quintessential Megadeth is found here on such genius lightning speed lead solos as ‘Hangar 18’. I have the tablature of this in a metal mag and its almost impossible to follow along. The technical expertise of fret melting hammer ons and sweep picking is astonishing. On the live DVDs Mustaine is able to replicate this and it is unbelievable. It would have to be one of my favourite metal songs, the lead soling at the end is phenomenal.

‘Five Magics’ is another very complex shredder but the band have even performed this live. ‘Take No Prisoners’ is another melodic metal highlight but for me one of the most awesome displays of riffing is found on ‘Holy Wars…. The Punishment Due’. All Megadeth addicts know this well and they should as it is the band at their absolute best.

Overall “Rust In Peace” is essential listening with enough variation on thrash riffs to hold the interest.

This is the first Megadeth album where they didn't change producers partway through the process, which I suspect has a lot to do with its success; the band are able to take full advantage of a bedrock of stability they hadn't previously enjoyed in order to deliver the finest album of their career. Lyrically, the album is all over the place, with subjects ranging from ruminations on the Northern Ireland conflict, pollution and nuclear war to comic books, cheesy fantasy novels and UFO conspiracy theories, whilst musically speaking the band deliver some of the most technically polished thrash they would produce. There are good reasons why this is one of the highest-scoring albums on the site, and it more than deserves the acclaim it receives.

There are certain albums that I enjoy so much that I don't want to analyze them too much. RIP is such an album.

Mustaine finally got a stable line-up together that would go on for a continuous 10 years and 5 albums, and even if they never got near the quality of this album again, you can not blame them for staying together to keep trying to capture the magic chemistry again that oozes from this metal masterpiece. Perfect songs, concentrated musicianship, the best guitar shredding ever and that angry snarl from Mustaine that makes thrash metal such a treat compared to more melodic metals.

That's all folks, just one warning maybe, avoid the 2004 remaster at all cost. It has one nice bonus track, but the remixing with its tiny drum snare is a disaster, and then I'm not even mentioning the parts where Mustaine had to record new vocals because the original vocal tracks were lost. Don't touch a perfect thing Dave, never!

Really, what more about this album has been said that hasn't been said already? Rust in Piece is Megadeth's Magnum Opus, along with Peace Sells... and for good reason. This is the point where the band took their complex progression and multi-sectional thrash to its logical extreme, before regressing into more standard metal with Countdown to Extinction. Through the creative sections along with masterful riffs, this shows that Megadeth were far from just screwing around with music.

There are plenty of arguments about Megadeth vs Metallica, and one reason people see Metallica as better are their long-form progressive metal tracks. While the tracklist shows that the song lengths for Megadeth aren't excessively long, Megadeth preferred to throw out the repetition on albums like this and bring tons of interesting sections into a well-constructed, concise format. One of the best examples of this is one of the deeper cuts on the album, "Five Magics", which starts off with some repetitive bass and guitar interplay, before blasting off into multiple high-energy sections, ultimately climaxing into a gigantic buildup. In less than six minutes they say more than, say, the eight minute opuses "Battery" and "Master of Puppets"

They do not suffer from sporadic changing syndrome that causes some to groan when listening to the more instrumentally challenging bands. All the riffs are solid, where Mustaine and Friedman just crank out great riff after great riff. The opening shouting of the guitar kicks it off in "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" and doesn't stuff. Most of them are energetic and thrashy, peaking out speedwise at the rockabilly-esque "Poison Was the Cure". Other times they are slow, like the latter section of the opening track. No matter what, though, they all pack a punch, with maybe the sole exception of "Lucretia" which while opening with a great melody on guitar delves into some sections that are slightly more standard in metal.

Again, Mustaine and Friedman must be mentioned. Friedman is many a Megadeth fan's favorite guitarist, and the solos on this album back it up quite well. It's difficult trying to tell what brings more to the table, the wild, endless soloing that goes on and on in "Hangar 18", or the emotional and shreddy blast that is "Tornado of Souls". The former is quite entertaining, with Mustaine and Friedman going back and forth against each other in a chaotic maelstrom of fury, getting faster and faster and building in increasing rage and technique. The latter, however, might be Friedman's masterpiece of a solo, containing thousands of exactly the right notes needed, giving a wonderful emotional and energetic touch needed in such a powerful song.

At the end of the day, you should know what you're getting into with "Rust in Peace". Megadeth is at the top of the game, and while the thrash isn't quite as extreme or dark as other bands in the genre, this still stands as an important pillar in the world of metal. Plenty have stated its influence and importance, and the music behind it speaks for itself. So if you're reading this and haven't gotten it already, there's really no excuse. Go out and get it.

Megadeth's fourth album is true thrash metal classic and Magnum Opus of the US band. The most obvious is, of course super-unusual way of songwriting by Dave Mustaine contrary to the traditional way of rival Metallica. Especially in Rust in Peace the musicianship and talent of Mustaine are strongly underlined. Except from this, there aren't weak songs and the musicianship by all members is highly impressive. The sound is compact, saturated and balanced. The listening of Rust in Peace provoke the imagination, because of its unpredictability and quality. My personal favourites include Hangar 18, Five Magics and Lucretia! Highly recommended for listeners who want to feel the refinement everywhere! 4,5 stars

September 1990. The decade was only nine months old, but Megadeth had already produced one of the greatest metal albums of the 90s.

There is a definite punk rock vibe scattered through the tracks of Rust In Peace. The verse of the catchy “Tornado of Souls”, and the up-tempo track “Poison Was The Cure” are but a few examples. Mustaine’s vocals are delivered with the attitude and tone of an angered, spiky-haired teenager as opposed to a grown man with hair past his shoulders. Don’t worry, I mean that in a good way!

More evident to the listener should be that this album showcases a metal band that has their chops down. It took Megadeth years before they attempted to play “Five Magics” live because Mustaine wasn’t sure they could even pull it off! “Lucretia” and “Take No Prisoners” should also impress those into albums seemingly made by musicians for musicians. “Holy Wars…. The Punishment Due” is legendary for it’s riffing. It’s truly a great way for Megadeth to introduce the fans to their newest incarnation. As technical and jagged as the song is, it was actually released as a single and is fairly catchy.

However, there is no doubt that “Hangar 18” is the catchier of the album’s singles. It’s extremely melodic from beginning to end, and filled with top-notch soloing by both Mustaine and Marty Friedman.

I can’t forget to mention “Dawn Patrol”. This is most certainly the track that will impress the least amount of people, but it’s built around a rather nice David Ellefson bassline, is rather brief, and I think it fits in well within the album’s structure.

“Rust In Peace …. Polaris” is actually one of the earliest Megadeth compositions, with parts of the song pre-dating the band. It’s kind of obvious from the old school sounding drum intro, but the song surprisingly holds up well. It was most certainly tailored to fit in with the current Megadeth sound, and works well as an album closer.

Rust In Peace is a career-defining album from a band at the top of their game, and comes highly recommended.

I have to get right into it. This is one of the best metal albums ever. An absolute jewel. While Reign in Blood is the greatest thrash metal album, (you just can top it) Rust in Peace is the best.

This album is a perfect blend of speed, technicality, and musicianship. The riffs are fast, complex and always changing. The rhythm/lead guitar work is truly superb. The drumming is perfect. It is not too over the top, but more of a musician role. There is of course some thrash, blazing solos and double bass. Of course this album has the classic Megadeth sound we all look for.

I like to usually do a quick thing for each song, but I'm not going to for Rust in Peace because this is an album you just have to listen to. The music is great, it is thrash but very complex. The guitar work is perfect and the riffs are just amazing. The drums are good, and fit the music perfectly. Even Mustaine's vocals, (often a big sour point) are not that bad. However, this album is better than just the music. Even Ellefson can be heard either laying down good backing, or some sweet bass riffs.

It is brilliantly composed. This album does not have a weak moment. From the first second to the last. The music is great, the sections are perfect and flow wonderfully. One of the best constructed albums I have ever heard.

Every song is great, I could not pick standouts. However, Poison Was The Cure, and Dawn Patrol are two more interesting ones, especially the latter. Tornado of Souls has a Marty Friedman solo that is beyond words.

This is a rare album. Every song is good, but more so there is no weak point at all. Awesome riffs, great dual guitar work, good bass, perfect drumming, thrash, complexity, and perfectly built songs. This is hands down one the best metal albums ever, and the best thrash album put out by the Big 4, or any for that matter.

Members reviews

Rust in Peace is Megadeth's fourth studio album and the first to feature two new band members who would remain for another ten years. Nick Menza on drums brought speed and youthful hunger to succeed to the band while Marty Friedman was an accomplished shredder and the best lead guitarist in the bands long history. The perfect line-up in my opinion who created the perfect Megadeth album in RIP.

The album is book-ended by two classics in 'Holy Wars... The Punishment Due' and 'Rust in Peace... Polaris' and both are epic in feel,have great riffs but are technically superb. My favorite song is 'Five Magics' which is speedy, highly complex musically with almost a Progressive approach. Drumming is superb throughout the album and each song seems to almost contain a semi drum solo. Even Mustaine's vocals are pretty decent on this album, which might be down to Mike Clink's production, although he retains his punky snarl. Every track is killer so no filler.

Must also mention the artwork which is in prime blue and shows Vic holding a green (radioactive?) crystal over a Polaris missile containing an alien while the world leaders are relegated to the background. This is Megadeth's masterpiece and truly worthy of the full 5 stars.

Megadeth’s Rust in Peace is an outstanding example of classic thrash metal - full of great riffs, speed, aggression, shredding, and time-changes. It is both heavy and technical with progressive, complex rhythms. Mustaine’s and Friedman’s multiple back to back duelling solos show the pairing to be a force to be reckoned with. The speed of their riffing is matched to perfection by Ellefson’s bass and Menza’s blisteringly quick drumming. The tracks on the album consistently demonstrate Mustaine’s impressive composition skills. The only problem with the album is that because it is so fast it is over far too quickly for me.

Rust in Peace is the pinnacle of Megadeth's career. None of their albums have and most likely ever will surpass it. It was recorded with one of their best line ups and contains many of their best songs. Moving on to the music, it is nearly flawless. The riffs are played with intense precision and the solos by both Marty Freidman and Dave Mustaine are perfect. Dave Ellefson and Nick Menza provide a solid base for the guitarists to work off of, yet they too also have great performances. While Marty Freidman has most of the extremely technical, musically challenging solos, it is clear that Dave Mustaine owns this record. He is the sole lyricist and composer on six of the nine tracks, and his solos are mind-blowing with their speed and ferocity. Another thing to note is that while Dave Mustaine doesn't have the greatest voice, it's impressive how much of a range he uses while playing complex riffs. The recommended songs from this album are: Holy Wars...The Punishment Due, Hangar 18, Five Magics, Lucretia, and Rust in Peace...Polaris. Overall, this album is one of the the greatest in thrash metal, easily surpassing Ride the Lightning or Reign in Blood in its technicality, lyrical content, and overall musical composition. (Side note: DO NOT buy the remastered version of this album. Nearly all the vocal tracks are re-recorded and they sound much worse than the original.)